Alabama

The Salad Dressing Monster

He's evil. He's tricky. He's swimming in creamy dreaminess and he tastes oh so good. An otherwise healthy bed of greens and veggies can become a healthy eaters worst nightmare if the Salad Dressing Monster gets a hold of it! The Salad Dressing Monster can be a booger to defeat, but armed with the right weaponry you can win!

Photo by Kelley SmithHealthier Salad Dressing

Look at any dressing section of the grocery store and you'll see hundreds of choices in bottled dressing. Many bottles sport a label that shout something tricky like "light" or "reduced fat". Ah-ha! These are words the Salad Dressing Monster uses to trick you and lure you into his den of plump thighs and dimpled "cheeks".

The best weapon you have in the fight against the Salad Dressing Monster or any other food monster that stands between you and being healthy is your brain. Your brain is where your war on love handles and double chin begins.

The first place to use your weapon, the brain, in fighting the Salad Dressing Monster is reading labels. Low Fat and Lite don't automatically translate into good for you. In fact, in most cases the makers of these so called healthy dressings, plump up the flavor taken out by the fat removal with lots of calories and yucky stuff that you can't pronounce.

Another way to use your brain in the battle against the Salad Dressing Monster is by making up your own recipes for healthy dressings. Sounds daunting doesn't it. I thought so too until I learned a cool little formula. 1 part acid+splash of mustard+ 2 parts oil+salt and pepper to taste=yummy, healthy dressing

An acid can be a citrus juice or a vinegar. The oil can be whatever healthy oil you prefer. The splash of mustard can be whatever flavor you prefer. The possibilities are endless! And the coolest part is that in using this formula the flavors are so powerful you don't need much to dress an entire salad. It's that good!

I've never met a vinegar or a mustard I don't like, so I seem to collect them. My cupboard is full of various blends. Some people have a thing for shoes and earrings, I have a thing for vinegar and mustard. Yesterday for instance, I found a "blood orange vinegar". Just opening the long slender bottle is heaven. The smells is magnificent! With my handy dandy formula rattling around in my head, I set off to find a mustard that would make friends with my new vinegar. Wala! I found an apricot-ginger mustard. Perfect.

Using my formula, I concocted this amazing dressing. By the way, my family ate boat loads of leafy greens last night with this dressing sprinkled over it! They even went back for 2nds and 3rds OF SALAD!!!! Victory is mine says the Mom! Take THAT you evil Salad Dressing Monster!

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic. Now either beat the oil in a little at a time with a whisk or take the short cut and whirl the vinegar mixture in a food processor then stream in the oil a little at a time and blend it well. Taste and use salt and pepper as needed. I drizzled this dressing on top of bed of dark leafy greens topped with a few well rinsed mandarin oranges, a bit of crumbled light feta cheese and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

Wondering what grape seed oil is? Well come back by "A Healthier Plate" tomorrow and I'll give you some info and tips on choosing your healthy oils.